BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



food presents itself, or is within a reasonable distance, 

 a spider will kill with the utmost ferocity and eat 

 with as much gusto as if it had not seen food for 

 days. 



As long as mites and springtails are to be procured 

 with ease the spider's existence is one of killing and 

 eating. There comes a time, however, when these 

 minute comestibles become so scarce that he finds 

 difficulties even in obtaining the bare necessities of life. 

 He cannot borrow from his brother, for the whole 

 family are probably in the same straits. So he makes 

 the best of a bad business, and, borrowing his brother 

 in person, transfers the liquid portions of his anatomy 

 to his own little maw. The bad habit, once cultivated, 

 soon grows stronger, and the spider, also growing 

 stronger, becomes more and more capable of indulging 

 in his unholy practices. As a consequence, before many 

 weeks have passed, the original family of several dozen 

 has dwindled to three or four well-favoured, robust 

 spiders. Surely, it is not a matter for surprise that one 

 or more of them should wander up a railing and sail 

 quietly away. 



And so, in the autumn mornings, when the grass is 

 alive with tiny spiders, young and old, all attempting, 

 with more or less success to change their quarters, the 

 air becomes charged with quantities of their silken 

 emanations ; and these threads, wafted hither and 



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